Questions and Answers for our Open Positions
Strong Towns is hiring! We have three open positions—Communications Associate, Development Associate, and Bookkeeper—that we are looking to fill. We’ve invited all interested parties to apply by submitting their email and zip code. We also invited your questions.
The way we hire our colleagues de-emphasizes resumes, certifications, educational degrees, relationships, and work experience, and focuses on skills, quality of work, and how an individual would approach the position. It’s not to say that education and experience don’t matter, but they are not our primary point of emphasis. There is no gatekeeper to pass prior to being taken seriously by our team.
In that spirit, and in the hopes that all of our potential applicants will have equivalent access to information from us, we asked people to not send us resumes or inquiries but to, instead, submit questions through a form we provided on the announcement page. We did a briefing last week for each position, which included providing answers to all questions. We’re re-posting those briefings here along with written answers to your questions.
And, yes, the top photo is from one of our staff meetings. That’s how we roll.
Communications Associate
The job description states that the position will be working with traditional and non-traditional media, and I would like you to expand on this point.
We try to get our message out through traditional media—print newspaper, magazines, radio, television—and also through non-traditional media (blogs, podcasts, and online media). We receive and respond to inquiries from both. The Communications Associate will be the first point of contact for media inquiries and will work with the Content Team and our Public Relations firm on our overall communications strategy.
Hello there. Just checking to see if this could be a virtual position.
Is this a position that works remotely or is there a particular location for the job?
As stated in the job description, we all work remotely. Yes, this is a remote position.
Are the positions open to applicants from outside the U.S.A.?
Is this vacancy for US residents only?
I’m sorry, but no. It would be really fun to have someone on staff living outside the U.S., but we just don’t have the capacity to manage the logistics of that. This is a US-only position. We have had a couple of contract positions in the past where the individual lived outside the US (Canada and Brazil), but we’re not looking for a contract on this position.
With the Strong Towns book out in the public and the main social media and press-related action items completed in regards to that project, what are going to be some of the communication focus areas for this role?
The book is actually a small part of what we do. Every week we publish 15 new articles, publish three new podcasts, send many emails, do roughly 72 social media posts and more. Communicating our message is central to what we do and a role that will always be urgent for us.
Where does Strong Towns see this role growing or is the direction going to be driven by the person who fills it?
All of our positions are driven by the person who fills it. We have a number of base things that need to be accomplished in terms of communicating our message to others, but beyond that, it will be pretty much driven by the skills and passions of the person in that role.
What does the current structure of discussing content generation look like and where would Strong Towns like to see it move towards?
We have a weekly content pitch meeting and a monthly content lookback meeting. Both of these involve the entire Content Team. During the weekly pitch, we talk about the content we have coming up, and we coordinate our approach to that. In the monthly lookback, we try to reflect on what we’ve done and use that time to improve and refine our approach.
Will this position have paid time off? How many days? Will there be flexibility for vacations, paid or unpaid? Will the 40 hours of work time be flexible throughout the week?
We do have Paid Time Off (PTO), as well as eight paid holidays per year (we allow substitution based on individual practices and priorities). We do not have a set amount of PTO but will offer a set amount to our preferred candidate. We expect the Communications Associate to work 40 hours per week, and to handle all of the work associated with the position in a timely manner, but we’re very flexible on the time schedule in which that is done.
It is important to stress that working remotely requires a level of self-discipline and personal balance that not everyone naturally has. We have seen people be very successful with this and enjoy this style of work immensely, but it does pose unique challenges. Exploring this will be a point of emphasis during the interview process.
Although it seems this opportunity is skills-based, are there certain educational backgrounds that are preferred?
No. We have a pretty strange mix of educational backgrounds on our current team, as well as past successful team members.
I was born and raised in Tulsa, OK but I am currently living in Tahlequah, OK. Is it appropriate to submit another application with my hometown zip code?
Don’t overthink it. Not a big deal.
What programs, platforms, and policies connect the Strong Towns team, keeping everyone in contact and on track?
Primarily Slack and Zoom, which we use continuously. Email to a lesser degree, with tools such as Airtable, ASANA and Scrumwise to coordinate workload and tasks. All our tools are web-based and accessible through a standard web browser.
I missed the first webinar, but I am very interested in the Communications Associate position. Am I too late, or can I still get into the application process?
You can apply here through Sunday, January 26.
Development Associate
Will this position have paid time off? How many days? Will there be flexibility for vacations, paid or unpaid? Will the 40 hours of work time be flexible throughout the week?
We do have Paid Time Off (PTO), as well as eight paid holidays per year (we allow substitution based on individual practices and priorities). We do not have a set amount of PTO but will offer a set amount to our preferred candidate. We expect the Development Associate to work 40 hours per week, and to handle all of the work associated with the position in a timely manner, but we’re very flexible on the time schedule in which that is done.
It is important to stress that working remotely requires a level of self-discipline and personal balance that not everyone naturally has. We have seen people be very successful with this and enjoy this style of work immensely, but it does pose unique challenges. Exploring this will be a point of emphasis during the interview process.
Is it the ultimate purpose of this organizational development to build a knowledge and education network or will it also include funding and financing opportunities for investors?
The job description describes our development priorities. We’re not looking for someone to work on a knowledge and education network or on funding and financing for investors. We do need someone to assist us with organizing and coordinating traditional development efforts for a non-profit (memberships, donors, and foundation relationships).
I am a senior in college (graduating mid-June) and I am very interested in the Development Associate role at Strong Towns. Is the March 1 start date solidified, or would I be eligible to apply?
Eligible: yes. Likely to get an offer: Not clear. We do have some urgent needs with this position, and while we’re willing to be flexible on starting date, there is an outside limit on how far out that would be. For the right candidate, mid-June would be at the far end of that window. So please do apply, but to be very frank, a start date three months away would be an obstacle for us. Not insurmountable, but an obstacle.
Can this position be a remote position?
As stated in the job description, we all work remotely. Yes, this is a remote position.
Hello. I am excited about the Strong Towns mission and would enjoy working as part of the team. However, the salary offered for the individual positions is significantly under my current salary. I can't (partially due to student loans) afford to take much less than what I'm currently earning. I'm wondering whether Strong Towns would be willing to combine the two positions in exchange for a substantially higher salary. I completely understand whether this is not possible, and will continue to enthusiastically provide my support for Strong Towns either way. Thanks!
While we appreciate your novel approach, we think you’re dramatically underestimating the amount of effort required in each position, as well as the skills required. It would be a rare person who would do both positions well—they are very different skill sets—and they are both full time positions. This position will not be a good fit for everyone, and we accept that. We have a history of competitive compensation increases for high performers, but if the posted salary is dramatically lower than what you need, this isn’t likely to be a good fit for you. Thank you for your interest, however.
Bookkeeper
Is this a from-home position or on-site? Will you be using QuickBooks software?
As stated in the job description, we all work remotely. Yes, this is a remote position.
We use Quickbooks Online for all of our accounting.
Is a Strong Towns membership or contribution "required" for the bookkeeping position?
No. This has never been a consideration for us when hiring, and it won’t be for this position.
Does this position have any seasonality outside of the typical end of period reporting gluts?
Not really. We do two member drives during the year, but even they won’t really change the volume of transactions. During our peak-travel seasons (January to May, September to December), there are a few more transactions, but nothing extraordinary.
Are any software applications currently in use by Strong Towns that would require a Mac user to cross-platform to PC? Quickbooks and Slack are not issues.
No. You can use whatever computer you want. Everything we do will be accessible with a standard browser.
How is StrongTowns currently running payroll and how will that change with the addition of a bookkeeper?
Our current contract bookkeeper runs payroll twice a month through Quickbooks. We would like the new bookkeeper to do it essentially the same way, albeit with one more person now on staff (instead of as a subcontractor).
Are your employees payed hourly or salary or a combination of both?
After this group of hiring, there will be six salary and four hourly.